Unmatched
by Lulunoel
Summary: Piper McLean, a young girl from Greece, is taken as a war prisoner when the Romans invade her city. She is tried and sentenced to concubinage and given to Emperor Jason as a toy. She fights to survive while trying not to fall in love with the RomanEmperor
1. Chapter 1

A/N This was origanally going to be a very long one shot, but I think the story will be better off as multiple chapters. In the future, I may edit the story into a long one shot, depending on how the story turns out. I plan for this to have three-eight chapters.

Anywho, this is a Jasper (JasonxPiper) story. I'm sorry for any Jeyna shippers, but I think Jason and Piper are a better couple.

This is based off of ancient times. I have used actual historic events, but not everything in here is true to history. The word 'concubine' will be used, and I will be explaining the meaning in the next chapter. You will also learn what 'harem' means. Sorry for any confusion.

Disclaimer: Lay off the happy juice if your PJAO or HOO books have my name on it.

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Unmatched

Chapter One

Piper could feel the aching pain as she was tossed around, could hear the screams and cries of those in need, and could smell the ash from burning homes. All of this was caused by one thing.

The Romans.

She buried herself deeper inside of the wooden box the Roman soldiers had thrown her into. Piper knew they were taking her to Rome, probably to become slave. The thought brought tears to her eyes. She had heard the stories about the Romans, how they invade cities and showed no mercy as they wiped the town out. She didn't believe them. Surely they weren't that cruel?

She couldn't have been more wrong.

Piper squeezed her eyes shut. She was not going to think about that. She had to find a way to escape. She glanced around the wooden box, but it was too dark to see anything. Piper curled into a ball and lay on her side. She would escape later.

The cries of those in pain and the smell of burning wood slowly drifted away, telling Piper she was being taken further and further away from home. What was left of it, at least. She rocked herself to sleep as she was tossed around the dark box.

XXX

"Get up," a gruff voice said. Piper opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times as the sunlight burned her eyes.

"Get up," the voice said again. She looked up and saw a mean looking man with beady black eyes and a bashed in nose. She blinked at him and refused to move.

"What's wrong with her?" another voice asked. Piper looked around the first man to see another Roman soldier who looked much younger then the first man.

"She won't move," the older soldier said. "Tie her up. We'll just drag her in."

The younger soldier ignored the older one's order and looked over at her. He gave her a small smile and offered her a hand. "I'm Dylan."

Piper glared at Dylan's hand and stayed silent. Dylan sighed before reaching inside the box to grab Piper.

"Don't touch me!" she screeched. Dylan jumped back and Piper could see surprise written all over his face.

"You can either walk, have me carry you, or get dragged by Darrel. Your choice," Dylan told her.

She growled at him and slowly made her way out of the box and onto solid ground. She took her time adjusting her toga while looking around. Other carts and boxes like the ones she was carried in were around. Soldiers carried weeping girls over their shoulders towards a large palace.

"What is this place," she asked Dylan.

"The very center of the great Rome. This is the Roman palace, where Emperor Jason lives. You are now under his rule as his war prisoner," Dylan explained to her.

"So, in other words, I am now a slave and if I step out of line, you'll chop off my head," Piper spat.

Dylan grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I'd watch my tongue if I were you. Not all of the soldiers are as nice as me."

Piper struggled against his hold and eventually Dylan released her. "You're a feisty little thing, aren't you? Emperor Jason will have fun with you," Dylan commented.

The other soldier, Darrel, rolled his eyes and pushed Piper forward. "Walk," he ordered her.

She walked forward slowly and let Dylan and Darrel lead her into the palace. The door to the castle was massive and had bars along the top. The entry hall was made of stones. Windows lined the tops of the walls with bars across them. Statues of various gods where placed about the hall, while a fountain with the goddess Aphrodite in it was in the very center. Piper felt a pang in her chest. _That's Venus, _she reminded herself. _Not Aphrodite. They're different. _Still, Piper felt like the statue's eyes were following her every move.

"Keep walking," Dylan told her. She obeyed and scurried after him and Darrel, not wanting to be in the same room as the statue any longer.

Dylan and Darrel led her up several flights of stairs and down various long halls before stopping in front of a set of large doors. _What's with everything having big doors? Does it for dramatic effect?_

"This is the trial room. You will be tried for you crimes," Dylan explained. _What crimes? _"You will be marked as either a slave or concubine and given to your master. Answer every question honestly and try to show some respect." With that, Dylan shoved Piper through the doors. She stumbled before regaining her footing. She looked around and her heart quickened as she saw that she was in the very center of a large circular room with hundreds of people sitting around her. Piper felt like she was in the stadium back in Greece that she used to watch war prisoners be tried. Only, this time she was the prisoner.

"Step forward," a commanding voice said. Piper turned her head in the direction of the voice and saw a wooden table with five mean looking people sitting behind it. The girl that had spoken looked around her age and had dark brown hair and menacing brown eyes. She was wearing purple and gold robes and two dogs lay at her feet, ready to attack at any moment.

"I said step forward," the girl said again. Piper obeyed and walked towards the table, stopping a few feet in front of it. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the room watching her and she felt faint.

"State your name and age," the girl commanded.

"Piper McLean. Fifteen years of age," Piper answered. The girl nodded and the woman to the left of her wrote down the information.

"Parents?" the girl said.

Piper's eyes widened and she glanced around the room at all the people. They couldn't know her parents. She could bear telling them her father's name, since he was Greek and she doubt they knew who he was even if he was famous, but her mother was a secret.

Piper swallowed and focused back on the girl. "My father is Tristan McLean." There was a collective amount of gasps throughout the room.

"The actor?" the girl asked. Piper nodded.

"Very well. And who is your mother?" the girl asked.

Piper bit her lip and shook her head. They couldn't know.

"Are you telling me you don't know who your own mother is?" the girl said.

Piper glanced to her left before nodding her head.

"You're lying," the girl smirked. "You just looked to the left. When people lie, they look to the left. When they are thinking about the truth, they look to the right."

Piper started beating herself up on the inside. How could she be so stupid? Her father was an actor. She should know this!

"I'm going to ask you one last time. Who is your mother?" the girl asked, putting emphasis on every word.

Piper shut her eyes and breathed in a long breath. She slowly opened her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but no words come out. She glanced around her and swallowed.

"Aphrodite. My mother is Aphrodite," Piper blurted out. She glanced around her, waiting for something bad to happen to her, but nothing happened. The room was completely silent. She stood there, fidgeting and playing with her thumbs. What did she just do? Did she really tell all these people-strangers- her biggest secret?

"Aphrodite," the girl said. Her brown eyes narrowed. "You're a child of Aphrodite."

Piper nodded and bit her lip so hard she started to taste blood.

The girl stood up and walked over to Piper, her two dogs trailing behind her. She smiled a cold smile before sticking her hand out towards Piper. "I'm Reyna, daughter of Bellona, praetor to the twelfth legion of the Roman army and part of Rome's senate."

Piper nodded her head and gingerly shook the girl's, Reyna's, hand. She didn't understand most of what Reyna had just said.

Reyna released her hand and starting walking around Piper. Piper's heart started beating and she wondered if anyone else could hear her heart pounding.

"You're a pretty thing, aren't you?" Reyna mused. "A daughter of Aphrodite. That's rare, you know. There hasn't been a child born to Aphrodite since the Trojan War. And your father is Tristan McLean, the treasured actor. My, you are a lucky child." _Lucky? You're looking at me like I'm some new toy for you. I'm standing in the middle of a court room being tried as a criminal, and you call me lucky? _Reyna stopped circling around her and stood a foot in front of Piper. "I've made my decision," Reyna announced. "She shall become a concubine to Emperor Jason. Take her to the harem."

Piper felt her heart sank as two guards came forward and each grabbed one of her arms. Dylan had something about becoming either a slave or a concubine. She racked her brain, trying to remember anything about the word.

"You're a lucky girl," one of the guards said. "And very pretty, too. Whenever Emperor Jason is in a giving mood, I'll see if he'll let me use you."

Piper grimaced and felt her heart sink even further. She was starting to remember what concubine meant, and her future wasn't looking to good. _Oh, what am I thinking? My future started looking bad the moment the Roman soldiers invaded my city._

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A/N Like it? REVIEW & tell me what you think.

Once again, sorry if the whole concubine thing confuses you. I will explain it in the next chapter.

~Lulunoel


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Hey guys! You don't know how happy I was with the results of this story. 55 reviews, 25 favorites, & 28 story alerts just for the first chapter is amazing:) Although, I know for a fact that 15 of those reviews were from the same anymonys (spelling?) reviewer. As much as I appreciate reviews, please just send one:) 15 was overdoing it. And to whoever said I sent those 15 reviews to myself, I would never do that. I don't need to review my own story.

Anywho, if we can reach 100 reviews, then I will try my very best to update before May 30. :) I'm terrible at updating (as most of you know.)

This chapter isn't as good as I would have liked it to be & I'm not very happy with it. I know for a fact the next chapter will be way better. We have a special guest in this chapter that I hope you guys will like :) & sorry for any OOCness, Piper is kind of hard to write.

Disclaimer-I don't own any of the charcters, but I will say I own the plot. I haven't seen a story like this on this website yet:)

P.S. This chapter is unedited since I wanted to get this out as fast as possible. Sorry for any mistakes.

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Unmatched

Chapter Two

The harem was a long hall, with ten doors on each side. The guards took her to room 16 and gave her to a pretty woman who had warm brown eyes. Piper instantly liked her. The lady bowed to the guards and then gave Piper a tour. When you first walked into the room, there was just another hall with only two doors on each side. The two doors on the left led to the sleeping quarters. The first door to the right opened up to the bathroom, while the second door led to the makeup and hair styling room. After showing Piper around the harem room, the woman, who Piper learned was named Mellie, guided her into the sleeping quarters and pointed to a bed besides the only window in the room.

"That's where you'll be sleeping," Mellie told her. "No one usually sleeps there, since it's by the window and everyone wants it, but it seems like you'll need it. Just remember to look out at the stars at night and remember that the gods are watching and protecting you.

Piper nodded and contemplated asking Mellie about concubinage. Her father had played a prince in a play that fell in love with his concubine, but she didn't pay much attention to what anything was. She regretted it now.

"What's a concubine?" Piper asked. Mellie gave her a pitying look which would've brought a glare onto Piper's face if it was anyone but Mellie.

"Well, the basic definition of a concubine is a woman who 'pleases' a man for the man's pleasure," Mellie told her.

"Mellie, I'm not a kid. Tell me everything." Piper said.

Mellie sighed as if she'd had this talk many times before. "There are different forms of concubinage. I assume they didn't use concubines in Greece?"

Piper shook her head.

Mellie nodded. "I assumed so. Here, a concubine is a woman who is forced into a sexual relationship of a man of high rankings. Sometimes a concubine carries a baby for a man whose wife is unable to. In your case, you'll be given to Emperor Jason as a sex toy. It happens often around here. It's awful at first but you'll eventually become numb."

Piper could feel the tears prick at her eyes and she willed herself not to cry. "And when will I start this…thing?" she breathed.

"The Emperor's birthday is in three days. You will be given to him as a gift," Mellie said.

Piper couldn't speak but she managed to give a small nod. Mellie seemed to notice she needed some time alone because she got up and left Piper as she collapsed onto her bed. She let a few tears slide down her cheek before falling into a nightmare invaded sleep.

XXX

Piper awoke to a violent shaking and someone calling her name. She reluctantly opened her eyes and blinked. Where was she?

"Piper?" the voice called again. Piper glanced to her left and saw a girl a little older than her with curly blonde hair and intense grey eyes. She looked familiar to Piper.

Piper glanced around and sat up with a start as everything that had happened earlier came back to her. She bit back a sob and looked over at the girl.

The girl smiled at her and sat down on the bed beside Piper. Piper stared at her. She knew her from somewhere.

"Do I know you?" Piper heard herself asking.

The girl looked startled and glanced around nervously. "What makes you say that?"

Piper shrugged. "You just look familiar. I had a friend back in Greece who looked just like you. Only she disappeared four years ago when she was visiting a friend in Athens while it was being raided by Romans…" Piper trailed off. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Annabeth?"

The girl who Piper assumed was Annabeth glanced around widely. Piper glanced around the room too. It was empty except for them.

"Annabeth?" Piper asked, trying to get the girl's attention.

"Stop saying my name!" Annabeth shouted.

Piper felt taken aback. The Annabeth she knew didn't yell. Annabeth's shoulders relaxed and her eyes reddened slightly.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "You're right. I was taken as a prisoner by the Romans and brought here. I was supposed to become a concubine for a man whose wife couldn't have kids."

Piper nodded her head for her to keep going. Annabeth took a deep breath and glanced out the window.

"The day I was brought into the trial room, Emperor Jason decided to come and visit to see how things were run. He took one look at me and said that I was a Roman citizen and to let me go. He then took me to one of the guest rooms and told me my new name would be Annie and to not tell anyone of my past."

"That's all?" Piper asked.

Annabeth nodded. "I haven't spoken to him since that day. Mellie came and got me the next day and I've been working in the harem since. I don't know why he saved me and no one else."

Piper shook her head but decided to let the subject drop. She had a feeling Annabeth wasn't telling her something.

"Tell me about home," Annabeth said.

Piper bit her lip and shifted slightly. "The Romans invaded our town. They burned everything. Gods, Annabeth, it was awful. I don't even know where my dad is."

Annabeth nodded and gave Piper a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder. "I'm sure they wouldn't kill him. He is Tristan McLean."

Piper looked down at her lap. "I just need to know he's okay."

Annabeth nodded like she understood. She bit her lip and Piper got a feeling that she was debating to ask a question or not.

"He's doing okay, you know," Piper said. "He hasn't dated anyone and he was depressed for a bit. But he gets better every day."

"I miss him. So, so much," Annabeth said in way that broke Piper's heart.

"He's waiting for you. He's never once believed that you're dead."

Annabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and Piper saw a fire blazing in them that hadn't been there earlier. "You can't know me. Everything from the past you have to forget. If they find out who I am, they'll kill you and me. Don't mention me to Emperor Jason. Just keep quiet and try to stay alive."

Piper balled her hands into fists. "So this is going to be my life now. Have sex with the Emperor and then come back here to sleep. Have you ever once thought of escaping?"

"I've tried. Many times. But I have to act like I belong here," Annabeth said.

"I'm going to escape," Piper said. "Someway, somehow, I will escape."

XXX

The three days passed much too quickly for Piper. Annabeth was keeping her distance from Piper which was understandable. Piper felt like she was on display. The other girls would stare at her with cold expressions and she knew they were talking about her when she wasn't around. She was exhausted the morning of the Emperor's birthday. She had spent the past three days being groomed and pampered and trained to be the perfect young lady for the Emperor.

"You look stunning," Mellie told her as one of the makeup ladies added some last minute touch ups.

Piper grimaced. She was wearing a strapless white dress that went down to a little past her knees. The dress cut low and Piper instinctively wrapped her arms around herself. A gold band was wrapped around the dress right under her chest. Two more gold bands were wrapped around her upper arms and she was wearing gold sandals that wrapped around her legs and up to her knees like ivy.

"This isn't me," Piper whispered. Mellie smiled at her softly and patted her shoulder.

"Emperor Jason isn't as cruel as he seems. I promise you he won't hurt you," Mellie said.

"You don't know that," Piper said.

Mellie shook her head. "I do. I used to be his personal maid until I was upgraded to here. Don't be quick to judge him. He's had a hard past."

Piper just narrowed her eyes and remained silent.

XXX

Jason sat lazily upon his throne while people shuffled into the throne room and bowed to him. Reyna sat to his right, her head held high and brown eyes narrowed and cold. Jason's own face hardened at the sight of her. His father wanted him to marry her, saying it would be best for his country. Jason wanted to disagree, but his father was Jupiter, king of the gods. Jupiter had given him the option of finding a suitable wife before his sixteenth birthday or he would marry Reyna. Even though today was his sixteenth birthday, he had managed to convince his father to give him four more months to find his wife.

Jason's head snapped back to the crowd as everyone let out a collective grasp. A beautiful woman was making her way down the aisle towards Jason, her head held high. She was wearing an elegant white toga with a gold laurel crown resting on her head. Her dark auburn hair changed colors every few seconds, along with her eyes and features until her image settled with dark brown hair, startling hazel eyes, and perfectly tanned skin. Her face looked soft and innocent yet demanding at the same time.

The woman stopped right in front of Jason and waved her hand around the room. Everything instantly froze except for Jason and the goddess.

"Lady Venus," Jason said as he bowed to her.

The goddess smiled down at the young emperor. "I am Aphrodite my boy."

Jason straightened up from his bow and frowned slightly. "Aphrodite," he tried. The name sounded foreign on his lips. "Aren't you a Greek goddess? Please don't take this the wrong way my lady, but what is a Greek Goddess doing in a Roman castle?"

Aphrodite smiled again at Jason. "Can't a goddess just come to celebrate a birthday?"

Jason raised his eyebrows at the goddess. Aphrodite sighed. "Fine, I have a reason for coming here. My daughter is here and I thought I'd come and say hi."

Jason's eyebrows furrowed together. "Your daughter. There hasn't been a child of Aphrodite since the Trojan War…but if you're a Greek goddess, then she's a Greek demigod. What's a Greek demigod doing here?"

Aphrodite's eyes turned cold. "Your people destroyed her town and have forced her to become a slave." She took a deep breath. Jason opened his mouth to speak but Aphrodite quickly cut him off. "I didn't come here to ask you to let her go. The fates have other plans for her. I only ask for you to not hurt her."

Jason tried to reply to what the goddess just said, but he was too confused to talk. "Why would I help a slave?" he finally managed to say.

"You've helped one before. Annabeth, was it?" Aphrodite said.

Jason swallowed hard. "She was the prince of Greece's girlfriend. I had to make sure she stayed hidden so there wouldn't be a war," Jason lied.

"Really? Are you sure it wasn't because of Tha-" Aphrodite began but Jason quickly cut her off.

"Don't say her name! I promise you I won't injure her if our paths ever cross," Jason said. Aphrodite smiled knowingly at him.

"The time for that is closer then it seems," Aphrodite said before dissolving into a dove and flying off. The room instantly buzzed back to life and everyone was looking around confusedly.

"Jason? What just happened?" Reyna asked. Jason glanced at her before sitting back down on his throne.

"I honestly don't know."

XXX

Piper's stomach was in a knot and her hands were clenched by her side as she stood outside the doors that led into the throne room where she would be given to Emperor Jason. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and tried to relax herself. The guards beside her kept eyeing her chest and she swore she saw a slight bulge in one of the guard's pants. Her heart quickened and she couldn't stay still.

Inside the room, she could hear slightly what the people were speaking. When the guards turned their heads away from her for a second, she pressed her head against the door.

"-a special day, as it is the sixteenth birthday of Emperor Jason, marking the day that he becomes the official Emperor of Rome. And as a special gift to Emperor Jason, we present to him the daughter of Aphrodite and Tri-" Piper was harshly pulled away from the door and was pressed against the chest of one of the guards.

"No funny business," he hissed at her. "You are going to walk in there, bow to the Emperor, and then you are going to be a good slave and perform his every order. Got that?"

Piper bit the guards hand which resulted in him tossing her forward at the exact moment the doors opened. She stumbled forward before regaining her footing. Piper stood up straight and looked into the room which held at least three thousand people, all of which were staring at her like hungry wolves. A red carpet was split done the middle of the room and stopped right in front of a large throne which sat the Emperor. Piper refused to look at him and instead started walking down the aisle with her head held high. She narrowed her eyes at anyone who glared at her or showed her an expression of disgust. She stopped walking when she reached the throne and stood there, not looking at the Emperor.

"Bow down to your ruler," Reyna told her. Piper refused to acknowledge her.

"I said bow down to your ruler," Reyna told her again. Piper turned her attention to the brown-haired witch and glared at her.

"That boy," Piper said, "is not my ruler. My ruler is King Perseus of Greece. This person right here is simply a stranger."

Reyna glared at her and stood from her throne. "You're in Rome now. The Emperor owns you. You do what he says."

Piper smirked. "He never told me to bow down to him."

Reyna growled at her and turned to the Emperor. Piper couldn't help herself. She looked at the Emperor also. He was very handsome, with short cropped blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes. He had a muscular build and reminded Piper of King Percy, as if they were cousins. He wore a white toga along with a purple clock that added a shade of violet to his blue eyes.

"Emperor Jason," the name leaves Piper's lips involuntarily. The Emperor looks almost amused before his face hardens.

"Take her to the prison cells," Emperor Jason says. The two guards from earlier rush towards her and grab her arms. The one who pushed her is looking at her hungrily and a wave of fear washes through Piper.

"And if any of you touch her," Emperor Jason said, "you will be thrown in there with her."

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A/N Like I said before, I don't exactly like how this chapter turned out. Review & tell me your thoughts:) & who's your favorite character so far? And is there a special character you want me to include?

If we can reach 100 reviews then I will update before May 30 :) & please don't send in more then one review. Like I said above, sending in 15 reviews is unnessicary. If that happens again, I will disable anymonys (spelling?) reviews.

~Lulunoel


	3. Chapter 3

-_- MY LAPTOP CRASHED! Right after I posted Chapter Two for Unmatched, Microsoft crashed, then my entire latptop! I HAVEN'T HAD MY LATPTOP FOR TWO MONTHS! Guys, I live on my laptop. It's what I use to read & write. I'M PRACTICALLY DEAD! Just kidding ;) I finally got it back this morning and I've spent the past four hours writing and rewriting this chapter. It is now 3:18 A.M. & I should probably go to bed now...

Not sure how I like this chapter. Review me your thoughts?

Happy Birthday to SexyPurpleBeast :)

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, favorated, & alerted this story. It means a lot :)

I read the 1st chapter for the Mark of Athena and guess what? IT SAYS JASON IS PIPER'S BOYFRIEND. IN YOUR FACE JEYNA FANS! JASPER IS OFFICIAL! x)

Chapter Three

_Drip. _Piper watched as water from a broken pipe slowly splashed to the ground. _Drip. _She hadn't eaten anything in the past three days and her stomach was hurting her. _Drip. _The only water she had drank was from the rusted pipe. _Drip. _How much longer would she be down here? _Drip. _She could hear footsteps coming towards her cell. _Drip. _Piper cringed against the wall, having no strength to lift herself off the ground. _Drip. _If only she had been given food, then she might have been able to fight against the guards that ha-

"What are you doing?" a voice said, cutting into her thoughts. Piper slowly turned around and was surprised to find the Emperor leaning casually against her cell door. His formerly perfect hair was now dishelved and his eyes had dark rings under them. His skin was paler then it was from three days ago. Despite his ragged appearance, he still held himself as if nothing could hurt him and he had all the power in the world.

Piper shakily stood up from the ground and clung to the wall for support. She refused to look weak in front of this man.

"If you don't remember," Piper said breathlessly, "you're the one who ordered me to be sent down to the prison cell."

Emperor Jason frowned and watched as Piper struggled to remain upright. His stare made Piper feel uncomfortable. She fought to keep her face emotionless as the Emperor stared her with some unknown emotion on his face.

"Do you plan on staring at me all day?" Piper spat. The Emperor looked taken aback and his face suddenly turned cold.

"No," he said. "I came here to talk."

_Well could you make it quick? _Piper thought. _I don't think I'll be able to stand for much longer without falling down. _Piper's knees started shaking uncontrollably and she began to sweat. The small amount of energy she managed to produce when the Emperor walked in was quickly draining away. Already black dots began to dance in her vision, yet she refused to back down from the Emperor's cold stare.

"Then talk," Piper told him.

Emperor Jason eyed her shaky form and his face softened slightly. "Maybe you should sit down first," he suggested.

"I'm fine," Piper replied instantly.

The Emperor didn't look convinced at all, but Piper didn't care. She just wanted him to say what he needed to so he could leave and she could be left alone.

"You are not in any way, shape, or form, the definition of fine," the Emperor said. He took a step towards Piper so she took a step back. The simple movement sent her head into massive pains and the urge to throw up whatever was left in her stomach was overwhelming.

The Emperor's eye twitched. "If you stop being stubborn for five seconds you'll be able to see that I'm trying to help you," he told her.

Piper glared at him. "If you were truly trying to help me then I would be home!" she shouted. "I wouldn't be here! You wouldn't be holding me captive!"

The Emperor studied her, his eyes roaming over her face and staring into her eyes. Unlike last time though, his stare didn't bother her. All the yelling had drained her last bit of energy and falling asleep seemed like one of the best things to do. Maybe then she would wake up back home and this whole experience would've been just a nightmare. Closing her eyes, she allowed the darkness to overcome her with the last thing she saw being the Emperor's worried face.

XXX

Piper awoke feeling a lot stronger than before. Her head still hurt, but not nearly as much as before. She knew she wasn't in the prison cells anymore since the air was much warmer and there was actually sunlight shining into the room. After her eyes adjusted, Piper glanced around and studied the weird jars filled with colorful substances that sat on a shelf directly across the bed she was lying on. She looked to her right and saw Mellie mixing something in a wooden bowl. Emperor Jason sat in a chair to Piper's right, resting his head in his hands.

Piper tried to speak but the only sound she managed to make was an inhuman croak. Her throat burned and she began to cough uncontrollably. The Emperor jumped from his chair, startled by the sudden noise, and Mellie whirled around, surprised that Piper had woken up.

"Drink this," Mellie said as she rushed over and shoved a cup into Piper's face. Piper complied and drowned the drink, and her throat instantly felt better.

"You're suffering from dehydration and not having enough nutrients in your body," Mellie explained to her. "Your body wasn't able to function right since you had no food and barely any water in you." Mellie fixed a pointed look at Emperor Jason and Piper was surprised to see him cringe. "A little food and water with some bed rest should fix you right up. I'm sure the Emperor would gladly release you from your duties until you're all better, wouldn't he?" The way Mellie said it indicated that Jason had no choice but to agree. So when he nodded and told her to feel better, Piper knew it wasn't just from the kindness of his nonexistent heart.

Mellie left her infirmary room to cook Piper some food to help refuel her body. Piper appreciated her help but wanted to slap her when Mellie ordered the Emperor to stay and watch Piper. It amused her to see that Mellie didn't fear the Emperor in the slightest. If anything, the Emperor seemed to fear Mellie.

After an awkward silence between the two, Piper finally cleared her throat and asked the one question that had been on her mind since she woke up.

"Why did you help me?"

The Emperor tensed at first, but relaxed after a moment of silence. He took in a deep breath and breathed out slowly. Piper wondered what he was thinking about.

"I don't know. I should have left you there, after the way you treated me. I know Greece was different, but here we show respect to our rulers."

Piper glared at him, something that had become a natural habit that she did whenever he was around. "I've said this once, and I'll say it again. You are not my ruler. Percy is."

Jason tensed again at the mention of Percy's name and Piper wondered if they had ever met. Probably, she thought, with them each being the heir to two of the largest Empires in the world.

Jason studied her for a couple minutes before answering her. "This is what I meant about showing respect. You just called your king by his first name," Jason pointed out.

"I can call my king by his first name because he's my friend. I was arranged to marry him when I was younger," Piper heard herself explain and instantly regretted it. That was one of her largest secrets.

The Emperor looked surprised. "You…you were supposed to…marry…the prince?"

Piper sighed. What damage could be done by telling him? _Maybe, s_he thought, _if I tell him something personal, he'll think I finally trust him. And then he'll start trusting me, and maybe I can find out something useful to help me escape. _

Piper smiled on the inside and tried to remain emotionless on the outside.

"My mom is Aphrodite and my dad is, or was, Tristan McLean," Piper's voice faltered on her father's name but she pushed away all the emotions that suddenly felt like suffocating her. "There hasn't been a child of Aphrodite in ages. And the fact that my dad is famous was only a bonus. The King wanted someone special to marry his son, and apparently I qualified."

The Emperor stared at her long and hard, probably trying to decide if she was lying or not. Piper stared back him and tried to make her face look honest and trusting. She wasn't lying about she said earlier. She really had been arranged to marry King Percy.

"If you two were to be married, then what happened?" the Emperor asked her with genuine curiosity written all over his face.

Piper smiled. "Love happened. Percy fell in love with someone else, and I was happy for him. I didn't want to marry him in the first place."

"Why not?"

"You should get married to someone who makes you happy, not someone who makes other people happy. Besides, he was always like a brother to me."

XXX

Jason sat on his bed, staring at the fireplace late into the night thinking about Piper's words.

'_You should get married to some who makes you happy, not someone who makes other people happy.'_

He wanted to talk to her more about what she had meant, but Mellie had barged in and kicked him out. If it had been anyone else, he would've had them imprisoned, but Mellie had practically raised him and was closer to him than most other adults.

Jason glowered at the fire. He really needed to talk to Piper. Today was the first day he had officially met her, and from her hatred towards him and her refusal to agree with anything he said, he knew their relationship was going to be a rocky one. He was incredibly angry, partially with Piper, but mostly with his father. He knew a lot of the high officials in Rome used concubines, but he never thought he would own one. He had no doubt that it was his father's doing that Piper had been captured and brought to Rome to be given to him. And even though Jason was mad at his father, he couldn't help but be grateful. He desperately needed someone, and there was no denying that Piper was gorgeous.

Jason shook his head. There were much more pressing matters that he needed to think about. He had been talking to a couple of generals the other day and they told him about rumors they had been hearing about a major prophecy. That had shocked him. There hadn't been any major quests or prophecies since the Trojan War. Yet, at the same time, there hadn't been a daughter of Aphrodite since the war either. Jason knew it probably wasn't a coincidence, hearing about the prophecy then having a daughter of Aphrodite show up. He was sure the gods were planning something, though he wasn't sure of what.

Jason shifted on his bed. And then there was the matter of his marriage. Jupiter hadn't talked to him lately about it, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he came barging in, telling Jason his time was up. Maybe Jason should just marry Reyna and be done with it. But that thought only brought Piper's words back into his mind.

'_You should get married to some who makes you happy, not someone who makes other people happy.'_

All his life, Jason has followed the rules, listening to his elders, always doing the honorable thing. Was it so much to ask that he could choose his own wife? But then again, Jupiter was allowing him to find his own wife, though he did have a deadline.

Jason groaned and leaned back against his headboard. He had done too much thinking tonight and he was starting to develop a headache. He'd have to talk to Leo in the morning, and then maybe he could finally have a proper meeting with Piper.

XXX

Piper was in no mood to get up the next morning. As soon as the Emperor had left, Mellie had brought in a satyr, who the Romans called fauns, named Hedge that fed her a strange tasting herb that made her skin burn and mouth taste like mushrooms. Piper didn't even know satyrs lived in Rome. The only satyr she had met was Grover, Percy's best friend, but he was nothing like the obnoxious faun that worked with Mellie.

"How are you feeling?" Mellie had asked her as soon as she woke up.

Piper only grunted in response and tried to go back to sleep only to have Mellie forcefully pull her out of bed.

"I'm up," Piper muttered before Mellie could push her over the side of the bed. She slowly sat up and grimaced at her reflection in the small mirror hanging above the wash bin. Her dark brown hair was knotted and dirty and her eyes had bags under them. Unlike the Emperor, who still managed to look good in his dishelved state, she looked like a zombie.

Mellie tsked her tongue and shooed Piper into the wash room, claiming that she was going to scare the other servants if she left the infirmary looking like that. Piper chuckled slightly and washed herself in a warm bucket of water that Mellie had filled for her. She scrubbed all the dirt off her body that had collected on her from spending the past few days in the prison cells and tried to clean her hair as best as she could. Piper dried herself off with a white towel Mellie had handed to her and changed into a simple white dress that Mellie had laid out for her to wear. She walked out of the wash room feeling more refreshed then she had in days. Mellie was waiting for her with a brush and ordered Piper to sit on a stool so she could do her hair. Piper closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel like a little girl again for a moment, when her mom would visit her sometimes and brush her hair while humming a lullaby. Piper was happy that Mellie hadn't done anything overly great with her hair. She had just braided the two sides of her hair and placed a gold band around her head. Piper decided she looked simple, yet elegant and innocent.

And she hated it.

Piper preferred to be in her simple shift dresses, with her choppy hair uneven from the time it got caught on something sticky and she had to cut it. She wanted to be home, where there weren't so many people around and she could be herself. She just wanted her dad.

The emotions she had pushed aside last night came rushing back but Piper refused to cry. She had wasted so many tears already. So instead of crying, Piper put on a fake smile and tried to look happy, or at the very last content.

"Any reason why you dressed me up?" Piper asked jokingly, though she had a suspicion that she would be meeting up with the Emperor. She knew he still wanted to talk to her, since their discussion from the prison cell was interrupted when she had blacked out.

"You shall be joining the Emperor and some guests for breakfast," Mellie told her.

Piper's stomach jumbled. Guests? She would've been fine with just the Emperor. But people she didn't know? She'd already meet so many people in the past few days.

_Get used to it. _Her mind told her. _This is your life now until you find someway to escape. _

Piper nodded and allowed Mellie to escort her into a part of the castle she had never been before. Mellie stopped walking and pointed towards a white door.

"You'll be eating in there today. A guard will come get you as soon as you're done and he'll bring you back to the harem," Mellie said.

Piper nodded and pushed opened the white door. The room inside was bare, except for a single table placed in the middle of the room with only two people sitting at it. Strangely, Piper recognized them both. The Emperor was staring at her expectantly, whilst the other person was staring at her in shock that probably matched her own expression.

"Leo?"

* * *

Expect an update as soon as I figure out how I want the next chapter to go.

How's your summer been?

You're thoughts on this chapter?

Anything you want me to include?

Any special characters you'd like to see?

Review me your answers :)

Can we reach 175 reviews? Cause I think we can :)

~Lulunoel


	4. Chapter 4

_So sorry for the late update. I have four cheer practices a week, plus two soccer practices, two gymnastic/tumbling classes, soccer and football games and my brother's baseball games to attend. Plus, I'm in 8th grade now, so I get a lot more homework then I would like. My freshman friends get less homework then me. I have no time to write anymore, but I have two weeks off for fall break. So I don't have to much homework, but I do have lots of sports and my cheer competition is next week. Please forgive me for having such a hectic schedule._

_The Mark of Athena came out and I've already read it and re-read it. I still haven't read The Son of Neptune yet. I'm going to start writing the next book, The House of Hades, and I'll publish that once I've re-read The Heores of Olympus and I get the first couple of chapters done._

_This chapter is unedited. If you see any mistakes, please let me know. If you have any questions, feel free to ask ask them in a review or just PM me. I will do my best to answer within 24 hours._

Unmatched

Chapter Four

'_They say before you start a war, you better know what you're fighting for'_

Leo picked at the piece of toast that lay untouched on his plate. He was told to come down to Jason's eating corridors to talk to him, but Jason had yet to show. He hadn't seen his best friend in over a month, with him constantly traveling and building, and Jason having to run an Empire. The only times Leo even saw Jason was when something major was bothering the Emperor. Leo could only wonder what it was this time.

The doors suddenly opened and in walked Jason with his head held high. Leo grimaced. He hated it when Jason acted all high and mighty, even if it was only for show. He knew that underneath, Jason was actually a good guy, not the cold Emperor many made him out to be.

Jason sat down across from Leo and glanced around. "Is anyone in here?" he asked Leo.

Leo shook his head. "It's just us."

Jason sighed and relaxed his shoulders and lowered his head. He sent Leo a genuine smile before taking a huge bite out of his toast.

"So, what'd you need to talk about?" Leo asked. "The only times we really talk anymore is when your pissed or something. What's gotcha this time?"

Jason groaned and hesitated before answering Leo. "Did you know there's a daughter of Aphrodite? And her dad is Tristan McLean too. Her name's Piper."

XXX

Piper stared at Leo, a hundred different questions bouncing around in her head. What was he doing in Rome? Was he another prisoner? Was he being held captive just like herself?

Piper looked at Emperor Jason, who was glancing between her and Leo. She didn't know what to do. The urge to just turn around and walk out was sounding like a good idea to Piper.

After what felt like hours, Leo finally opened his mouth and said "The cow says mow."

Piper didn't know why, but that sent her into a fit of laughter and even the Emperor cracked a real smile at his friend's random outburst. After settling down she suddenly felt happy and a little shocked. How long had it been since she'd laughed like that?

Piper could tell the Emperor was surprised, too. It was written all over his face as he watched her make her way over to the table and plop down onto the chair to his right. Even though Leo had broken the ice, there was still a lot of tension in the air and Piper knew that at any second the questions would begin.

"So, how are you Piper?" Leo asked.

Piper tensed. _Terrible, scared, frightened. I don't know where my dad is. I'm stuck being a sex toy for a stuck up Emperor. _Is what Piper wanted to say but she bit her lip and instead answered, "Fine."

Leo didn't look convinced in the slightest and Piper couldn't tell what Emperor Jason was thinking because she refused to look at him.

"How have you been?" Piper asked.

Leo smiled. "Great! I've been traveling around a lot. Had a run in with that creepy snow goddess."

Piper wrinkled her nose. She didn't like Khione. She was rude and ruthless and had played Leo a couple years ago.

"I don't like Khione," Piper said.

Leo chuckled. "I remember that one time you beat up her brothers and then pushed her off the roof of her dad's palace. Classic."

Piper blushed while the Emperor laughed with Leo. She remembered that day clearly. Zethes and Calais had been hitting on herand she got so fed up that they couldn't take a hit that she grabbed that nearest thing, which happened to be a large icicle, and knocked them both on the back of the head. She felt guilty afterwards. She knew the poor guys were probably lonely and just wanted some company. And of course Khione threw a hissy fit and demanded that Boreas turn her into an ice sculpture. Piper had already been mad at her brothers and Khione had only made her angrier. So she did the only reasonably thing and pushed Khione off the roof where the goddess got stuck in a well.

"You seriously pushed a goddess off a roof after beating up two gods?" the Emperor asked her incredulously.

Piper blushed even more. "To be fair, they were only minor gods."

The Emperor just shook his head and laughed. Piper froze at the sound. She hadn't heard him laugh properly since she met him and his laugh made her shiver.

"Pipes, you okay?" Leo asked her. "You kind of just froze."

Piper tried to give him a smile but she was sure it looked pathetic. "Yeah, I'm fine."

A strained silence fell upon them and Piper nervously nibbled on her toast. Leo and the Emperor followed suit and soon they had devoured all the food set out for them. Granted it was cold, but they had been talking for a while.

Emperor Jason cleared his throat and before he spoke Piper knew what he was going to say.

"So, how do you two know each other?"

Piper stared down at her empty plate and fiddled with her hands. Would it hurt her if she told him how she knew Leo? Annabeth had mentioned that she should forget her past in order to help herself. But how was she supposed to forget her past when it was constantly jumping out at her?

"I was her bodyguard when we were twelve. I quit last year in order to start traveling," Leo explained to the Emperor. Piper looked up from her plate and saw the Emperor staring at her like she was a puzzle he had yet to figure out.

"How would you have been her bodyguard if you were both the same age? And what were you doing in Greece?" the Emperor asked Leo.

"Jason, maybe we should speak about this some other time. It's almost midday," Leo told the Emperor.

Emperor Jason nodded and looked at Piper. Her breath got caught in her throat as his brilliant blue eyes stared into her own multicolored ones.

"A guard will take you back to the harem and then Mellie will give you a short list of errands to do for me. If you feel sick, just tell Mellie," the Emperor told her.

Piper nodded and looked at the Emperor for permission to leave. He nodded and she stood up and scurried out of the room. A guard was waiting for her outside the doors and she followed him back towards the harem.

XXX

The errands that Emperor Jason wanted for her to do were simple. The only problem she had was having to find the places she was supposed to go to. When she asked Mellie for directions she told Piper to take 'Annie', or Annabeth, with her.

Piper nodded and walked over to Annabeth, who was sitting on a bed by Piper's looking at something in her hands.

"Mellie told me you were supposed to help me with the errands the Emperor wants me to run," Piper said as she approached Annabeth.

Annabeth glanced up at her and sighed. "Alright." She stood up and stuffed whatever was in her hands under the pillow then motioned for Piper to follow her.

"Where does it say to go first?" Annabeth asked her.

Piper glanced down at the piece of stone in her hands and read the first thing on the list. "It says to go to the horse stables and give this package," Piper held up the box in her other hand," to Hazel."

Annabeth nodded and continued walking with Piper trailing a few step behind. She stared at Annebth's back and tried to remember the days when she was younger and her, Percy, and Annabeth would run around the castle playing with their swords and causing all sorts of havoc.

Piper was brought out of her thoughts as she heard voices from around the corner.

"Look, I just know that it's going to happen soon," Piper heard a boy whisper.

"How? Have you talked to Hades about this?" a girl whispered back.

"Hazel, Hades has been ignoring me ever since I came here. All I know is that whatever prophercy that's got everyone freaked out is going to be happening soon," the boy said.

Piper and Annabeth rounded the corner where two figures where hunched close to each other in the middle of the stables. Piper stared at the girl she assumed was Hazel. Hazel had dark skin, the darkest skin Piper had ever seen. Her dark brown eyes matched her curly hair and she stood a few inches shorter than Piper.

The boy, who Piper didn't know the name of, was a couple inches taller than her and had nice sized muscles. His skin was pale which only made his unruly black hair and dark brown eyes seem darker than they already were. When he looked at Piper, she felt a cold chill run through her.

Piper glanced at Annabeth who was blankly looking at Hazel and the boy.

"Hi Annie," Hazel greeted with a smile.

Annabeth smiled back and nodded towards the boy who's face remained

emotionless. Hazel elbowed him in the ribs and he glared at her.

"Hi," he greeted. Hazel shook her head before smiling towards Piper.

"I'm Hazel and that's Nico. He doesn't talk much," Hazel explained which earned her another glare from Nico.

"Piper," Piper told her. "The Emperor asked me to give you this." Piper handed Hazel the package.

Hazel smiled. "Finally! I've been waiting for this," she exclaimed. Piper gave her a forced smile.

"So are you a new maid or…?" Hazel asked her.

Piper grimaced. "I'm actually Emperor Jason's new concubine."

Hazel and Nico exchanged a glance before glancing over at Annabeth. Annabeth shook her head and shot a glare at the two. Piper bit her lip to keep from yelling. Why was everyone so secretive around here?

"Piper, your next stop is to visit Frank. He's just outside the stables by the archery range," Annabeth told Piper. "I just need to discuss something with these two for a moment."

Piper nodded and headed outside the stables. She walked around trying to find the archery range before she came across one of the stable windows that just happened to be opened. She crouched underneath the window and tried to stay as silent as possible.

"What's with all this war talk?" Piper heard Annabeth ask.

"Well, to put it simply, there's been word that the Greeks are coming," Nico said. Someone gasped.

"When did you hear this?" Annabeth asked.

"Just this morning," Hazel answered.

"What's weird is that the Romans seem to be allowing it. They never just sit back and let someone attack them. If they feel threatened, they attack. They never ever play defense," Nico said.

"Yes. This is the first time the Romans haven't shown any means for war," Hazel said.

"They must have some sort of secret plan. Maybe they don't want to upset the villagers," Annabeth suggested.

"Or maybe they want to form an alliance?" Hazel said.

There was a pause before Annabeth answered. "No. The Romans have been attacking the Greeks for ages. Even if by some miracle they wanted peace the Greeks wouldn't have it."

"Your right. Have you heard about the prophercy?" Hazel asked.

"I have," Annabeth said. "Do you think it might be connected to the Greeks coming?"

"It might. Maybe we shou-"

Piper never got to hear the rest of the conversation. She was tackled on her side by a powerful force that knocked the air out of her. A large hand covered her mouth. When she looked up her eyes met warm brown ones.

"We need to talk."

XXX

"You're Greek."

"I am."

Jason should've been surprised or shocked, but he wasn't. He honestly didn't care what Leo was. His heritage made him no different. He was still the goofy Leo that always cheered Jason up.

"What's it like?" Jason heard himself ask.

"Greece?"

Jason nodded.

"It's pretty much like Rome, only Greek. There are a couple more statues and temples but they're a little more simple. Greece has a different building style and they don't really have anything like the collesuem. They do have the Olympics though. And they have Olympus where the Greek gods are said to live," Leo explained with a small smile. "Are you mad at me?"

"Honestly? No." Jason replied. "Just a little hurt you never told me."

Leo laughed bitterly. "It's not exactly something you can just bring into a conversation. 'Oh look, what beautiful weather we're having. By the way, I'm Greek. Please don't rip my head off.'"

Jason rubbed his face. "Still, you could've told me. I wouldn't hurt you."

Leo sighed. "I know, but just look around you. Greeks and Romans don't exactly get along. Just by saying the word Greek is like a taboo around here."

Jason laughed. "How'd you even get here?"

Leo shrugged. "You know most of the story. My mom died in a fire when I was three. I basically just ran around until I was six and I ended up here where you found me."

Jason laughed. "I remember that. You were covered in dirt and had the pointiest ears I have ever seen. You still do."

"Hey, don't make fun of a man's ears." Leo gave Jason an evil glare that just made the two laugh.

"You never told me about your dad," Jason said.

Leo fiddled with his fingers and tapped his right foot against the ground. "That's because my dad is Hephaestus, god of fire and metal."

XXX

Piper glared at the boy in front of her. He was wearing a dirty toga with a sheath of arrows strapped to his back and a bow in his right hand. His hair was short cropped and black and his big brown eyes bore into her own. He was chubby in cuddly way and reminded Piper of a baby panda. He didn't look like he was from Rome.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Frank," the chubby boy said. "Care to explain who you are and why you were ease dropping?"

_Not really._ Piper thought, but she sighed and answered anyway. She felt like she had met too many people today. "I'm Piper, the Emperor's new concubine. As for the ease dropping, I was curious and they left the window open. Oh, and this is for you," Piper said. She handed him the envelope with his name on it.

Frank glanced at the envelope and smiled before looking back at Piper. He frowned at her and motioned for her to follow him. She complied and let Frank led her away from the stables and towards the archery range. They sat down on a stack of hay by one of the targets and Frank set down his bow.

"So you're not a spy?" he asked her.

Piper fought the urge to role her eyes. "No, I'm not. Just a concubine."

"Last I checked Jason didn't have one."

"I was his birthday present," Piper spat.

Frank rubbed his neck. "I missed his birthday?"

Piper raised an eyebrow at him. "You did."

Frank started mumbling to himself and Piper distracted herself by picking at her nails.

"Piper?" both Piper and Frank turned towards Annabeth who was looking paler then usual. She stood next to the stable door with Hazel and Nico behind her each sporting an uneasy look.

"It's time to leave," Annabeth said.

Piper nodded and glanced over at Frank. He gave her a sheepish smiled and waved as she got up and walked over to Annabeth.

"Listen, I'm not feeling too well. I'm going to go lie down for a while. You only have one more errand. You just need to give that letter to Dakota. He usually hangs out at the swords arena. If you have trouble finding him, just ask any of the maids."

Piper nodded and Annabeth left, leaving Piper to find her own way. Hazel and Nico had disappeared and Frank was nowhere in sight. Not for the first time since arriving in Rome, Piper felt completely and utterly alone.

XXX

Piper just wanted to sleep. She wanted to climb into her bed under the open window in the harem and just dream away her problems. Unfortuately, the moment she walked into the room she shared with other concubines, she was pulled to the side by Mellie who told her the Emperor requested her presense. Piper started to panic. She tried to remind herself that this was her job now, and the sooner she got the first time over with, the better. Some of the other girls in the room gave her sympathetic looks and Mellie tried to make her feel better by reminding her that the Emperor was a good guy.

None of it helped. A huge stone had placed itself in Piper's throat, making it impossible to talk. Her stomach was in a knot and her body felt stiff. She somehow managed to drag herself down the dark, cold hallways and to the Emperor's room with the help of a maid named Keto who just played with her long black hair and tried to cheer Piper up with facts about the ocean.

When they reached the door that led to Emperor Jason's room, Piper had a miniature heart attack. Keto sensed her panic and held her hand and continued to sprout out facts about sea animals until Piper stopped shaking. Piper tried to collect herself and put on her brave face as she knocked on the Emperor's door. Keto gave her one last dimpled smile before she took off, leaving Piper in front of the large doors. She only had to wait a couple of seconds before the doors opened and there stood the Emperor in all of his golden glory.

"Good, you're here. Now we can finally have our talk."

* * *

_I have two weeks off right now, so hopefully I will be able to update within the next week._

_Follow me on instagram, but please don't ask me when I'll update my stories on it. laaureennoel_

_I hope this chapter didn't dissapoint. The story is a little more then half way finished._

_Can we reach 350 reviews?_

_Chapter Question- If you could be any PJO or HOO character, who would you be and why?_

_~Lulunoel_


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